ikeepbees,
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against walk-away splits. I personally favor more efficient ways of raising queens. My whole rub with walk-always, is that some have mentioned this is "natural" or the best way to raise queens. And although there are many ways to raise queens, this has to be the least productive and least controlled way of doing it. If you want 20 queens, I prefer to raise 20 queens from my best stock. Not a couple from each hive. I can also control mating, and bring in cells from one yard and keep inbreeding in check. Yes, someone will suggest that inbreeding from walk away splits can not happen, since bees fly a certain distance, etc. But my thoughts on such matters differ greatly from the standard text book comments on the matter.
Of course walk-away splits are a management tool and a good way to raise queens, but does have its limits and negatives also to keep in perspective. When I say that many of my queens go to others trying to raise queens, I can only imagine that they may of based what they did in generalized comments in seemingly easy instructions. But down time of the hive making a queen from scratch, of a queen that the beekeeper waited too long and realizes the hive is laying workers, finding out that drones do not fly at certain times, and some queens get killed along the mating process, all play into a broader discussion of something beyond "Do walk away splits, its natural, the bees know what they are doing, and you get better queens."...which is hardly the case many times for those not knowing what they are doing. Its not rocket science. And I'm not trying to discourage people from raising queens. Just suggesting to look at all factors that go into it, to get the best results for not just you, but for the bees.